In December 2021, a group of seventeen student success and retention colleagues from fifteen Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States gathered via Zoom to meet and discuss ways to support each other across institutions. After just one year, the network now meets quarterly and has doubled its size in membership.
As a result of this collaboration between its members, the Student Success and Retention network is now the newest Conference of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU).
According to Mary Ann Tietjen, Senior Director of the Success Center at Creighton University, the Conference has realized several goals to support the success, retention, and persistence of students. These include the creation of a directory and listerv of colleagues who work in student success and retention, and the sharing of data, resources, strategies, and best practices from their institutions. Tietjen is currently serving as convener of the Conference and reports that plans for an in-person event this summer are being finalized and will be shared during the next meeting of the Conference in February.
As institutions increase their focus on student success and retention by establishing and growing offices and staff in this area, it is only natural that this Conference has come together to collaborate. AJCU’s president, Rev. Michael J. Garanzini, S.J., recently noted that student success will be one of the important themes at an upcoming national Assembly for Jesuit educators in Summer 2024. He said, “This is a very welcome and, I should add, much needed addition to our network of AJCU Conferences.”
To learn more about the AJCU Student Success and Retention Conference, please contact Mary Ann Tietjen, M.Ed., Senior Director of the Success Center at Creighton University: maryanntietjen@creighton.edu.